Vanilla
by Ms. Plush
Summary: Akina Yamoshi chose to make herself an emotionless shell of a human being. Can anyone convince her to change her mind? no official pairings as of yet
1. Prologue

**_Disclaimer: All characters from the Naruto series are the property of Masashi Kishimoto. I am not seeking any kind of profit from this fanfiction._**

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There is a legend that has been passed down through generations. A long time ago in the Village Hidden in the Leaves, a nine-tailed-fox suddenly appeared. Its tails lashed out, smashing mountains and sending massive tidal waves crashing to the shores that flooded all of the beaches in the area. The ninja rose up to defend their village. The men and women fought admirably to slaughter the beast. People were covered with their own blood that seeped from wounds sustained during the battle, but the demon still remained unscathed as it mutilated the corpses of its victims. That monstrosity was like nothing they had ever encountered before. It was like the fox was from some other world.

The fox was crouched in a feral position, emitting fierce snarls that shook the ground like an earthquake. Its fur was the color of the sunrise and its scarlet eyes pierced the night sky with their murderous stare. The full moon was blocked from view by the demon's immense size and created a dark silhouette that spread fear to anyone who dared to look upon its form. A pair of enormous ears was perched atop its head that generated gusts of wind every time its head whipped from side to side as it devoured its victims. Its hot breath mixed with the cool night breeze to produce a smoke that flew from its nostrils and filled the air with a putrid odor that smelled of rotting flesh. Dark blood was smeared across its lips and rained down with every turn of the head. It was easy to tell from just looking at the beast that a single one of its paws was enough to annihilate six large trees, however, it preferred to lash out its tails in every direction which resulted in even greater destruction. The paws were reserved for the purpose of crushing the people unfortunate enough to have been below them when they came smashing down to the Earth.

Orders were being barked from all sides. "Hold the attack and wait for the Fourth Hokage!" screamed one of the ninja.

"It's getting closer; don't let it near the village!"

That night, one shinobi faced the nine-tailed fox in mortal combat. The Fourth Hokage would immortalize his name forever after that battle. It was a Hokage's duty as leader of the Hidden Leaf Village to protect the citizens that he or she was in charge of, even at the cost of their own lives. The Fourth knew what his job entitled as he summoned a giant beast of his own to fight the fox that endangered his subordinates. A giant ruby red toad wearing a deep blue kimono lined with white stood before the ninja with the Fourth standing proudly like a heroic storybook character atop its head. The Fourth's height combined with that of the toad allowed him to be only a head taller than the crouched demonic fox that trampled the Earth in front of him. An old wooden pipe protruded from the lips of the toad and sent dark clouds billowing up into the sky.

The Fourth shook violently as he stared into the face of the beast before him. Those wild eyes engraved themselves in his mind, and he felt his blood run cold, but he summoned up all his willpower and preformed the hand-sign that would seal both of their fates forever. A blinding light flashed through the sky and the beast disappeared while the Hokage's lifeless corpse lay atop the head of the toad. One final cloud of smoke flew upwards from the pipe and disappeared into the night. In that moment, a newborn boy was chosen to be the container of the monster's spirit, condemned to years of torment and hatred from the other citizens in the village. This is his story.


	2. Chapter 1

**_Diclaimer: Masashi Kishimoto has made it impossible for Plush to own the anime Naruto and all of it's characters so she is stuck with her own stupid OCs._**

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~Chapter 1~

The streets of the Hidden Leaf Village were crammed with people. A bright sun shone directly overhead and illuminated the village with a dazzling glow. The air was warm and carried the scent of fresh food that flowed from the stands lining the dirt road. Women dragged their children along by their tiny hands down the dirt path to prevent them from wandering off. Store owners welcomed customers that flocked to them to look at their wares with happy smiles. Most of the town's kids were sitting in school by that time, but two of the students had other things to do to occupy their time.

A small brunette girl sat beneath a tree with a book in hand, her concentration completely subjugated by the words that covered each page. Her name was Akina Yamoshi. Her glazed over azure eyes flew across the text taking in every sentence; each one took her farther away from the reality. It was a good feeling, it really was. Reality was far too drab.

Little did she know, a young blonde was in the process of making reality a tad more interesting just a few roads away from her spot underneath her tree.

She wouldn't even have batted an eyelash as a bright yellow and orange blur flew past her if it wasn't for the gust of wind that followed and caused numerous pages in her precious piece of literature to flip rapidly. "What a shame," she sighed and ran a hand through her chocolate tresses, "such a lovely story it was." It was hard to tell exactly what she was feeling by looking at her. Her tone made her sound bored, but she looked like she was surveying the area without actually seeing anything. Coming from down the road, she could hear shouts mixed with joyful, albeit manic, laughter. The noises bounced off the walls of every building in the vicinity.

She looked above her just as two chunin ninja soared overhead. She deduced that they were the culprits making a ruckus with their endless shouting that reverberated in her ears. The manic laughter, however, did not come from either of the two. That ruckus was coming from the orange blur. The blur turned into a young boy. It seemed that he was being chased through the town by the two ninja. Akina followed the group with her blank eyes. It was a game of cats and mouse, and so far the mouse seemed to be winning.

She knew the mouse. Well, that's not entirely true. To say that she recognized him would be more accurate. It was a boy from her school, if only she had taken the time to pay attention to his name. He had spiked blonde hair that was pushed back as he ran. His black t-shirt, orange pants and matching orange jacket that he wore tied around his waist all flapped wildly behind him. He seemed to be in quite high spirits as he jumped across the rooftops with his arms spread wide like wings that would lift him into the sky and his blue eyes shone brightly, so full of life. For a moment, Akina was so caught up in his joyous, liberated state that she considered the possibility of actually conversing with him next time they were in class together, but the thought was so ridiculous to her that it was immediately forgotten. Still, it was impressive how fast he could run with three paint buckets swinging wildly from his arms.

"Naruto, get back here! When I get my hands on you-" the threat was left incomplete as the first man tried to speed up his pace.

'Naruto,' Akina let the name echo in her mind before the gears began to turn, 'mildly more interesting than most creatures, though the possibility of any sort of consensual verbal interaction is about nine percent…no maybe only seven.' Still, that was higher than most of the other "creatures" that she knew.

The second one decided that it was his turn to do the yelling, "You've crossed the line this time, Naruto!"

He once again let out a hearty laugh at the expense of his pursuers, "Give it up! You're just bent because you don't have to guts to do what I do, do ya?" He continued to mock the men with juvenile insults, "Losers! Wannabes! You'll never catch me."

Akina pursed her lips, deep in thought. 'His immaturity level at such an age makes me feel slightly less compelled to converse with him. The chance of interaction? Lowered to four percent.'

In another part of town, an elderly gentleman sat in front of a scroll. He dragged a paintbrush along in a very careful manner and watched as the ink was quickly absorbed. His tranquil state was slightly thrown off as the rice-paper door slid open to reveal two frantic men.

"Lord Hokage, it's an emergency!" one shouted frenetically.

The Third Hokage was the most respected man in all of the Hidden Leaf with a brain that's size was only surpassed by his age. Dark eyes could be found on his face behind layers of wrinkles.

He was wearing a long white robe with a red shirt underneath that went just past his ankles. At his neck sat a thick white scarf tucked under the top of the white robe. And finally, atop his head he wore the traditional hat given to him by the Second Hokage who obtained it from the First. The hat was shaped like a triangle and was large enough to hide his whole face if he slouched down. The hat had two pieces of white cloth that hung down the sides and rested at his shoulder blades. It was only made up of two colors, red and white. A majority was red, except for the two tips at the sides and one circle smack in the center which contained the character for fire written in crimson. To be able to wear those sacred garments was the highest honor a ninja could ever ask for.

He turned slowly and faced the first man, his frustration clear by the way that his wrinkled brow crumpled up even further and his lips formed a firm line around the pipe that protruded from his mouth. "I hope that you are not bothering me with some trivia," he told the pair sternly, "and _don't_ tell me that it's Naruto again." For such an old man he carried such an air of authority about him that did well commanding obedience from those who he was in charge of.

"It is Naruto again, he climbed onto the Great Stone Faces!" explained the first man, waving his arms wildly in distress. It was hard to take anything that he was saying seriously with his arms waving about. After all, doing so made him bear a striking resemblance to a frantic chimpanzee.

"He put graffiti all over the Hokages!" added the second. He stood behind the first man and was noticeably as distressed.

The elderly gentleman took a long drag from his pipe to calm his nerves and let out a tired sigh. Smoke poured out from between his wrinkled lips as he closed his eyes in exasperation. One child should not be able to cause this much trouble.

The chunin closed in on their targeted delinquent. Naruto noticed their close proximity; he was not about to simply give in. His feet hit the road directly to the left of where Akina was seated beneath her tree, but he was gone in an instant with the chunin following not far behind. "Naruto, hold on!"

Akina had already returned her attention back to her book but was not unaware of the commotion going on in the street. She scoffed at the fruitless efforts of the older men, "Good riddance. If you can't manage to catch a twelve-year-old, then you are unfit to call yourselves ninja," she muttered. A small shadow flew over Akina's head which she slowly lifted to see a white butterfly land gracefully on her tree. It looked so innocent and its white wings gave off a feeling of purity which radiated down the tree and into her. She lifted her hand to touch it gently, but just as quickly as it had come, the butterfly was gone.

An increasingly familiar laugh came from the old wooden fence that lined the far side of the road. The laugh floated through the air much like the butterfly. It was followed by the sound of a cloth ruffling. "That was too easy!" exclaimed Naruto proudly to himself.

Naruto beamed at the success of his plan. He had run fast enough that he had ample time to hide himself behind some blanket that had the same pattern as the wooden wall behind him, completely concealed from the chunin's views.

Akina didn't even bother to look up at him. She could feel his aura, an intense yellow light, and even though it was not as bright as the white that had shone from the butterfly, his aura gave off a similar feeling of warmth.

As her mind became consumed once again by her book, Akina failed to notice a man walking up behind Naruto with a livid expression on his face.

"Oh yeah, Naruto?!" he snarled threateningly. Obviously he heard Naruto's last comment. His brown hair tied back in a ponytail appeared to stand at attention. It seemed that even his hair could tell he was mad, and it was trying to not get in the way while the man was in such an enraged state. A vein was popping out of his forehead and looked as if it would burst at any moment. The man was relatively young, maybe in his early twenties, but the dark fury that shot from his dark, chocolate eyes bore into Naruto and sent a chill throughout the youth's whole body in a way that only a high-status authority figure could.

If possible, Naruto seemed to fly three feet into the air and flailed helplessly as he made futile attempts to claw at the air around him. It was as if he was a bird that never learned to fly and could only jump and hover feebly before he crashed to the Earth below in a sad heap. He landed on his butt painfully after twisting his body in the air to face the irate man behind him. It was then that Naruto realized who had snuck up on him so rudely. All the fear was sucked out of him in an instant by a pious straw.

"Where'd you come from Iruka-sensei?" Naruto asked bluntly, his annoyance not in the least bit inconspicuous. "What are you doing here?"

As a sensei, Iruka donned the traditional headband of the Hidden Leaf Village's ninja. A blue piece of fabric was tied along his hairline and was decorated by a metal plate secured proudly in the center of his forehead that shone in the light. On the metal there was a swirl craved in the middle with a small line which pointed up to the right side of his head and a triangle shape diagonal to the line on the opposite side of the swirl, completing the vague shape of a leaf. He also wore a flak jacket which illustrated his rank as a chunin, much like Naruto's previous pursuers. It was an olive green color and had small pockets on either side of the chest area to give quick access to scrolls while on missions. In reality it looked more like a vest than a jacket.

His expression implied that he was obviously not pleased with Naruto's lack of presence in the school building. "No, what are _you_ doing here?" he growled through his teeth. "You're supposed to be in class." Naruto only rolled his eyes, a typical response for a boy his age. It was then that he spotted the girl sitting not too far from him. He had seen her almost every day in class, but never personally talked to her. In fact, he had never seen anyone else talk to her either. Iruka noticed that he no longer held the object of his frustration's attention. "Are you even listening to me?" He turned to see what could have possibly distracted the blonde and realization flashed in his eyes.

In the back of her mind, Akina could feel herself being watched, but call for attention from the pages laid out before her was much louder than that from the orbs of her observers.

"Akina?!" exclaimed the teacher, astonished. He couldn't believe it. Akina wasn't the kind of person to skip school. So what was she doing here?

Akina lifted their gaze to meet her teacher's. Iruka felt a shiver go down his spine, and he tried to avoid looking directly into her eyes. They were so empty, like two portals that would suck you into Akina's own universe that she always got so wrapped up in; a universe that was so alien to the one he was desperately clinging to. To avoid her haunting stare he lifted his eyes to gaze at her forehead as an alternative. It was unusually pale and looked like the skin only just fit.

Akina let a tiny, acknowledging humming noise reverberate from the back of her throat. Her look didn't waver in the slightest.

Iruka swallowed the lump that had formed in his throat. "W-What are you doing here?! Why aren't you in class?"

Akina tilted her head to the side, as if in thought. The air was tense for the two males when she did this. She looked like she was pondering the mysteries of the universe, and they had no way of knowing what she planned to say. They could not help but experience a tremor of what could only be described as fear at her unyielding stoicism.

For Akina, the time during the silence was filled with mild confusion. She remembered that she was supposed to be in class. She always went to class. So how come she ended up under her tree? She dug throughout the corners of her mind, venturing through the files of her memory 'Today's completed agenda up to this time: I woke up and got dressed as per the norm, performed all necessary morning bathroom activities including brushing my teeth and washing my face, consumed some fruit for my morning meal, and left for the academy, so how _did_ I end up here?' She could feel her stomach twist as her frustration grew, but at the sound of fluttering paper she looked down at the book in her lap. 'Oh yes, of course…how asinine of me.'

As her distant look seemed to fade a little Iruka felt himself be released from the previous tension. "S-So?" he asked, "are you going to tell me why you were skipping class?" There was an unintentional edge to his words that struck a chord in his mind. What was it about this child, not even a teenager yet, that made him like this?

Akina opened her mouth and tried to speak, but the action felt so foreign to her that she closed it again and had to clear her throat. "I was on my way to the academy," she started. Her voice was still abnormally soft, like a whisper that clung to the breeze just so that it could travel far enough to reach the ears of its recipients. "However, I soon became," she paused for a moment to search for the right word, but then took a breath and started speaking again in her haunting voice, "distracted."

Iruka and Naruto waited anxiously for the rest of her story, but it never came. "And?" her teacher prodded her for more of an answer.

"And nothing," responded the brunette calmly, "I was distracted. Is my response insufficient, Mr. Umino?" Iruka inferred a challenge was hidden behind his pupil's words. However, how it was implied was unknown. Iruka did not notice anything in her tone or her expression that made him think she displayed any kind of insubordination, so why did he suddenly feel threatened by her very presence?

He hesitantly shook his head, making his ponytail swish back and forth and brush against his ears. "No, it's fine," he swallowed hard, and Akina noticed how his Adam's apple moved as he did this, "b-but you should be getting to class now, isn't that right?"

Akina offered a small smile as she raised her body off of the ground, but it didn't feel right. Naruto noted that even though her lips curled up to perform the action of smiling, it never reached her eyes. Her smile was more of a grimace and made all three of them very uncomfortable.

"And _you_," Iruka turned to face his other student, grateful that he had an excuse to look away from the tiny female and her portal-like eyes, "I expect you to show up to my class as well. Of course afterwards you will stay behind to clean up your little masterpiece that you made out of the Great Stone Faces. Am I clear?"

"Yes, Iruka-sensei," Naruto responded begrudgingly.

The walk back was very animated at first. Naruto tried on numerous occasions to take off running, but Iruka foiled his plans every time. After the seventh try, Iruka grew fed up with the rebellious student and resorted to trying him up and using the open end like a leash to lead Naruto the rest of the way. Akina had resumed her reading the moment that her shoes touched the dirt road. Her focus was only broken once by a surprise face-plant into the ground. Naruto's balancing ability was just awful.

Twenty minutes of walking down the beat up dirt road brought the Hidden Leaf Ninja academy over the horizon. The sun was shining at such an angle that the white walls seemed to glow brilliantly.

Inside the building, Akina stood before the whole class. Next to her, Naruto was still tied up and was sitting on the ground with a hate-filled stare directed at his teacher. This was humiliating! He shouldn't have been tied up like some kind of animal on display for his peers to scrutinize. Akina could feel the waves of distain coming from him. Human anger was so fascinating to her. It was like a battle for dominance between fire and ice. The heat came from the primitive passion of fury that had a strong influence on physical actions, while at the same time it felt like ice was running through their body interfering with the process of thoughts and emotions other than hate. She noted that often the struggle between the feelings made the individual more agitated. Naruto's frustration succeeded in bringing a slight smirk to her lips as she observed her theory proved correct firsthand.

Akina turned her gaze to scan the faces of the people staring at her questioningly. They seemed to analyze her every movement. She didn't feel unnerved by their looks; she simply stared back at each one of them until they looked away, clearly uncomfortable. There was one boy who didn't turn away from her gaze. When she stared at him, he grinned widely, his eyes shining all the while. That grin and those eyes were like stabs in her gut. They looked just like her own, only full of light and ignorant happiness. The feeling they gave off was so different than the emotion conveyed by her own orbs that it frustrated her slightly. A soft breeze blew through the window and caused his brown hair to sway. It was like looking in a mirror. Well, a gender and personality switching mirror; if such a thing existed. Akina managed to maintain her blank look and saw as his smile only widened. She held in her distain as she thought to herself, 'Stupid big brother.'

Her brother, Akito Yamoshi, was Akina's polar opposite. While her hair hung blandly past her shoulders, his was styled to curl in various directions which gave him a more youthful appearance and accentuated his baby-face. He wore a tight black sweatshirt without any sleeves, and a simple blue t-shirt poked out from underneath the jacket. His shorts were pure white and ended a little past his knees, and finally, his hands were covered by two dark gray gloves. His skin was soft and clear with rosy cheeks that were great indicators of his moods. When he was embarrassed or angry, they flared up like the sun at twilight. If he was feeling sad, which was unlikely, they turned pale and fell, making him look absolutely pitiful. Happiness would make them rise up to fit his Cheshire grin, much like they were at that moment.

Iruka cleared his throat, breaking the staring contest between the siblings. "Akina, I have to say that I am very disappointed in you. You cutting school makes me think that you don't really take this class seriously and I should give you a few detentions. Still, since this is a first time occurrence I do think you deserve a little leniency," Iruka stated with his eyes searching hers for any sort of reaction. There was none. He sighed, defeated, "Just go back to your seat, after school you can help grade papers with me as your punishment."

Akina blinked slowly and turned. She walked to her seat on the far right side in the back of the room. Her book was tucked with care under her arm. Its cover burned her skin and pleaded with her to open it and resume reading.

Iruka watched her go silently before turning to his other student. "I'm at the end of my rope, Naruto," he started. The students looked on with little interest. Incidents like this weren't rare with Naruto. "You failed the graduation test last-time and the time before that. Tomorrow you've got another chance, and you're messing up again!"

Naruto felt offended by his teacher's patronizing tone. The blonde did not need nor did he want any of Iruka's pity. What did he care anyway? Stubbornly, Naruto turned his head to face away from Iruka and scowled.

Iruka was struck speechless. Alright, if Naruto wanted to act like a child, then he would be punished like a child. He turned to face the class, "Fine! Since _you_ missed it, Naruto, _everyone_ will have to review the transformation jutsu!"

Well, that sure caught everyone's attention. Even Akina looked up from her book. 'Well, that hardly seems like an appropriate way of dealing with the situation at hand. Why should the rest of the class have to participate in such a task?' The other students seemed to share her opinion, but they weren't as hesitant to make their thoughts known.

"Don't argue!" barked Iruka, "Just form a straight line at the front of the room."

Akina ended up next to Akito. He was still grinning like a maniac which she tried to ignore, but that proved very difficult after he looped his arm around her shoulder and laughed merrily. "So, where were _you_ this morning, my delinquent little sister?"

She looked at him emotionlessly before turning back to face forward. "I was distracted," a good enough answer for her teacher, but it apparently wasn't enough for her brother.

"Reading again, huh? I guess I'm not surprised, but you're slipping up, I mean you did get caught and all, am I right?"

A dull look was not missed by Akito, but Akina still felt the need to tell him, "Obviously, or else I would not be here, now would I?" With anyone else, the ice-ridden words would have driven the two into a very uncomfortable silence. Well, Akina wouldn't have been uncomfortable, but that's because Akina Yamoshi didn't do uncomfortable.

Too bad that Akito was not any other person. Thus, his reaction was a little different. "Aw, you're so cute, baby sister!" Akina felt him hug her tightly and sighed.

"While I understand that you wish to express your love of our familial bond, I do not welcome such close physical contact, and so, if you please, I would appreciate it if you release me at once." Her voice was so low that nobody else in the line could hear her side of the conversation.

"But baby sister-"

"_At once_, big brother," the whisper had quickly turned into a hiss. He never did actually completely let her go, but he did resume their original position of having his arm around her shoulder, and he didn't speak for a while. The latter was enough to satisfy Akina.

The first person to perform the jutsu stepped forward. "Alright, Sakura Haruno here, let's do it! Transform!" Sakura was one of the prettiest girl's in the class. She had bubblegum pink hair that went half-way down her back before curling cutely at the bottom. Her hair color contrasted greatly with her emerald green eyes that held the sparkle that only those of a young girl could have. She wore a bright red dress that would have stood out too much on anyone else because of its color, but it suited her. She had a tiny frame, obviously not very skilled in hand to hand combat due to a lacking in physical strength. However, her skills in chakra control were illustrated for the whole class as she performed the hand signs of the dog, the boar, and finally, the reverse ram. It was actually quite beautiful to watch her face go completely serene as she focused her mind on the shape she planned on changing herself into. Sakura could feel her stomach twist as the chakra moved around inside of her. Her skin prickled like tiny electric shockwaves were coursing through her veins. Suddenly, there was a poof of smoke, and in her place stood a replica of her sensei, Iruka.

"Transformed into me," Iruka paused to write down his observations on a clipboard that he held in his left arm, "Good."

Maintaining a transformation was a hassle for any of the pre-graduates. It required constant focus on chakra and so it was no surprise that Sakura quickly released the technique. There was another poof of smoke and she once again appeared in her original shape. Outside she was the epitome of a giddy little school girl as she jumped up and down and cheered happily. Inside, however, her true self shone through.

The exact date of Inner Sakura's "birth" was unknown, but she showed up right around the time when Sakura turned seven. Over the years it was evident that the happier that Sakura became, the more often Inner Sakura showed up in the pinkette's mind. Only seen and heard by Sakura, Inner Sakura showed up to confess truth and honesty which were left unspoken by the adolescent.

"Cha!" the interior spirit exclaimed, "I kick butt!" Inner Sakura pumped his fist into the air as her body giggled innocently at a young boy standing in the line.

"Sasuke, did you see that?" Sakura asked with her jade eyes sparkling.

Sasuke was the most popular boy in the whole class and had everything that could drive a young girl to a hormone-induced frenzy. His blue shirt with the collar up covered his neck, and his plain white shorts fell just below his knees. On anyone else, the clothes would have looked extremely boring, but on Sasuke they succeeded in making him look even more like a male supermodel. Both articles of clothing were very baggy and swished as he moved. His charcoal hair was spiked up in the back and his bangs hung down almost covering his deep black eyes. Akina always liked Sasuke's eyes. When he was deep in thought, they glazed over much like her's were all of the time. The only difference was that his eyes often betrayed him and conveyed a powerful mix of pain and hatred. It was unfortunate that he did not have better control over those beautiful eyes because maybe then he could have hidden the look of annoyance that overtook his usual expression.

Sakura never did get an answer from the pre-teen pretty boy, because she was interrupted by Iruka who called out, "Next, Sasuke Uchiha." Sasuke stepped forward, and Iruka looked down to write on the clipboard. Sasuke quickly performed the hand signs and was engulfed in a cloud of smoke identical to the one that had previously held his classmate. The motions looked effortless and he manipulated all of his chakra precisely without displaying a single thought or emotion. Nothing less could be expected of Sasuke. He was, after all, the most promising student in the whole class.

"Uhm good," Iruka said. There wasn't much that could be said when what you expect to happen is exactly what you get. And so, Sasuke released the jutsu and walked back to his seat.

"Moving on," Iruka paused to check he next name on his clipboard, "Akina Yamoshi."

Akina, who was busy staring at a very small hole in the ceiling, felt a nudge in her side, and she turned to focus her stare on her brother who took it upon himself to lightly push the young girl towards their sensei.

Iruka closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. He tried to play it off as a yawn, but Akina wasn't fooled. She gave him one hard look before molding her fingers together to form the necessary hand signs. She didn't even look at her hands while she performed them. She kept her eyes on her teacher and watched as he grew tenser with every moment that passed. Her stomach muscles tightened painfully and her stomach felt like it was on fire as energy rapidly poured into every part of her body. It grew more and more intense until she too was surrounded by a cloud of smoke. As it cleared she finally looked to see her hands firmly clamped together in the sign of the reverse ram. They were no longer accompanied by her pale, bony fingers. In their place were tan fingers that were rough and worn down. 'How upsetting,' she thought with mild disdain.

"Fine, you may go sit down."

Akina quickly stopped her flow of chakra and returned to her normal form, ridding herself of the alien hands. She then proceeded to glide up the stairs with slight swaying motions every few steps.

"What a freak," a young red-headed girl whispered to her neighbor and Akina walked by.

"Yeah, she's so weird. She's like some kind of witch or something."

Akina set her mouth in a firm line but didn't stop her ascent until she returned to her chair. 'How uncouth, if I'm a user of black magic, then how do you explain the fact that your heads are still on your shoulders?' She reached for her tattered book on the corner of her desk as she muttered, "Worthless creatures."

"Next, Naruto Uzumaki," announced Iruka.

Naruto was standing with his hands shoved into his pockets between two of his classmates. On his left there was a dark-haired boy while a young blonde girl stood on his right.

Shikamaru Nara was the boy's name. His hair was short and was tied up in a high ponytail, making it stick out behind his head at every angle. His eyes were as dark as his hair and spewed lethargy. Shikamaru's chest was covered by a thick fishnet shirt that clung to his body, and over that he wore a plain gray jacket with leaf green lining. "This is a total waste of time, Naruto," the brunette said as Naruto made his way forward.

"We always pay for your screw ups," added the girl. Her name was Ino Yamanaka. Like Sakura, Ino was one of the prettier girls in the class. Her light blonde hair that, when left down, fell to her waist was tied up. A small section in the front was left to hang out and covered a part of her face, hiding one of her stunning blue eyes. Her skin was soft and unblemished, giving her a very clean and bright appearance. If she wasn't working to be a ninja, she could have easily found a career in the modeling business. Her clothes consisted of a cute purple shirt that ruffled at the top and would have exposed her thin stomach if that area hadn't been covered by bandages that went all the way down to her lower thigh. She also wore a small purple skirt that ended just above her bandages and had large slits up the sides. Her lower arms were covered by baggy, white arm-warmers that went almost to her elbow. The arm-warmers bunched up as she placed he hands on her hips in irritation.

"Like I care," Naruto grumbled. He didn't care, he really didn't. It just annoyed him how people blamed him for everything. Iruka didn't have to punish him, so if you really think about it was their teacher's fault, not Naruto's. So how come Naruto always got stuck with the blame? Well, he'd show them.

A few people down the line, a young girl turned bright red and pushed her fingers together as she watched Naruto take his position in front of their teacher. Her red face contrasted greatly with her navy colored hair and completely white eyes. She wasn't blind or anything, the eyes literally ran in her family. Hinata Hyuuga was her name. She wasn't anything very special to look at, but she wasn't gross-looking. She just wasn't like Sakura or Ino with their unconcealed appearances. Her dark bangs went straight across her forehead, but the rest of her hair was chopped so that it curved out at her ears before coming back to her face. Hey body was hidden inside a tan sweatshirt that was three sizes too big for her small stature. It was good for times like this as she buried herself deeper inside the thick material to hide her burning face. 'N-Naruto,' she whispered in the comfort of hr own mind, 'do your best.'

At that moment, Naruto completed the final hand sign for the transformation jutsu. His chakra wasn't completely kept under control unlike his classmates, so it flew around him like a wildfire of blue flames. "Transform!" he yelled. He kept enough chakra under his control to allow himself to complete the technique, so he too was engulfed in a thick cloud. However, it wasn't Iruka standing before the class when the smoke cleared.

Before I continue, I feel it necessary to point out a vital fact for you who haven't noticed as of yet. Naruto enjoys bending the rules until there's nothing left to bend. I think it's because there's a sort of excitement that comes from the people getting angry at him after he does something that he knows to be wrong. This aspect of his personality should be obvious to everyone that knows him, and his classmates all understood this perfectly, but for some odd reason his next trick completely took his teacher by surprise.

Before a class of over thirty students under fourteen-years-old, along with one teacher who was just over twenty, stood Naruto who had taken in upon himself to transform into a completely naked woman. She had deep blue eyes, identical to his own, and long blonde hair that was tied up in two pigtails at the top of her head. Even tied up her hair managed to go to her lower back. From what was visible she was very well "equipped," but most of her more intimate parts remained hidden by what was left of the smoke-cloud. However, what was visible was more than enough to send Iruka over the edge.

The transformation winked flirtatiously and blew the brunette a kiss. Iruka practically fainted on the spot from shock as blood poured from his nostrils. The poor man's heartbeat skyrocketed ad his legs gave out from underneath him. It wasn't everyday that the students got to witness a teacher's face go completely white except for a scarlet blush that spread across his cheeks.

"Oh my God, is he okay?" one girl screamed.

"Make sure he's breathing!"

"Call 911!"

Naruto finally released the jutsu and started laughing hysterically at his teacher's expense. "Gotcha!" he yelled, "That's my sexy jutsu!" Nobody else thought it was that funny.

Akina casually turned the page in her book. Nothing about this was mildly amusing to her. Sakura, Ino, and most of the other girl in the class glared at their pig of a classmate. Have you ever heard of spontaneous combustion? For those of you that haven't, when certain substances reach a high enough temperature they can spontaneously burst into flames. Coal is a very good example of this. It's a good thing that people don't have this ability, because then those girls would have gone up like a gas station. Sasuke had his chin propped up comfortably on his hands, and the rest of the class was still checking on their scarred teacher.

Iruka flew up off the ground in a fit of rage and screamed as loud as he could, "Cut the stupid tricks! This is your last warning!" That vein on the side of his head once again looked like it was going to explode. As if there wasn't enough blood spewed all over the floor already.

After everyone had calmed down, and Mrs. Mura, the school nurse, came and examined Iruka, the day continued without much else happening. All the students were given a lesson on proper behavior in the school building and then spent the rest of the day taking notes on chakra control. Nobody was asked to do any demonstrations.

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Sorry the end kinda fails guys. I only wrote four minutes of the first episode and it took up fourteen pages on Word (not counting the part of the episode that I used for the Prologue). I wanted to wait to post this until I finished the whole episode, but I got fed up with it and decided to post what I had done. Keep in mind that this is my first fanfic, so please don't be too harsh in reviews (though I do welcome all constructive criticism and any ideas for my story that you may have~!). I have no idea when the next part will be out because finals are coming up and you saw how long it took me to get this done, so sorry in advance!! Also, I am looking for a beta reader, so if any of you are interested please let me know ASAP


	3. Chapter 2

**I want to thank MitsukiUmisako for her review. So far she's the first and only person to do that, so it was nice to know that someone actually took the time to tell me what they think.**

**_Disclaimer: Plush does not own Naruto or any of it's characters. If she did, then Kakashi would realize his eternal love for her and they would get married and live happily ever after. Unfortunately the anime Naruto, all of it's characters, and the show's plot belong to Masashi Kishimoto._**

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~Chapter 2~

After class ended, everything seemed to quiet down in the village. People still occupied the streets, but there was a noticeable decrease in the hustle and bustle from that morning as people returned home to start making dinner for their families. The birds made more noise with their wings flapping than the people who were in the streets.

Akina soaked in the silence with a deep breath and let it out in a soft sigh. It was all so beautiful. She was seated on top of the Hokage Monument with her legs pulled up to chest and was taking in the breeze that smelled like freshly cut grass. Such moments were rare in such an active village unless she was reading her book. It would have been the perfect spot to relax, except the spot was polluted by the presence of two other people.

Iruka sat to Akina's right on the structure with his arms crossed and his legs dangling off the head of the First Hokage. He was quite a few feet away, and the funny thing was the top part of his body seemed even farther away. Not that it bothered her. I mean, who cares if a student's teacher tries to avoid being in close proximities with him or her? Who cares if every move that the student makes is drastically overanalyzed by said teacher out of groundless paranoia? Who cares if the teacher can't even look at the student without a knot tying itself in the teacher's stomach?

It most definitely didn't bother Akina one bit.

Down below, near the First's nose, Naruto stood on some scaffolding. He had a wet cloth in his hand and was mercilessly scrubbing away all of his anger. 'This is so unfair,' he thought, 'Does nobody in this village have any sense of humor? I mean they could at least send a few more people up to help me!' He grumbled and growled to himself and verbally expressed his anger in short phrases such as "This sucks" and "Loser."

Akina didn't feel any pity for the blonde. He was the one that desecrated the monument, so it was only fitting that he be the one to clean it all up. It was she who deserved pity. At least Naruto's punishment fit his crime. How does being late to class result in her being forced to look over tests? She inwardly scoffed at every red mark that she made on the papers. The stupidity of some of her classmates disgusted her. She resisted the urge to cringe every time she had to touch another filthy paper. They all reeked of idiocy.

"You're not going home until you've cleaned off every single drop of paint," said Iruka. It was the first full sentence spoken since they arrived at the monument.

"So what?" Naruto growled, "It's not like there's anyone waiting at home for me!"

That struck an emotional chord with Iruka. It was pretty common knowledge in the village that Naruto had no parents. Nobody really talked about it, but they were presumed dead.

A long silence followed Naruto's little outburst. The only noises that could be heard were the sounds of papers shuffling and a cloth scrubbing against granite. Akina, oblivious to the tense atmosphere, relished the return to the quiet.

Unfortunately, once again, the beautiful period of silence was disturbed by Iruka. It was a shame really. The silence was like a pool of water that was left undisturbed. It wasn't marred by tiny waves that distorted the land below the surface. Such perfection should be observed and admired, but Iruka was like that single pebble thrown into the pool that started a chain reaction of ripples. Such disregard for beauty was disgusting in Akina's eyes.

"Naruto," Iruka started. And thus, the pebble was tossed. Akina could feel the waves rush past her, and she placed her hand on the rock to prevent herself from being swept away.

Naruto apparently didn't feel the waves because he remained standing in the same spot as he had been for the past few hours, but he responded to his teacher with a hate-filled glare. "What do you want now, sensei?" he growled. Seriously, what was Iruka's problem? He was the one who ordered Naruto to clean up the faces, but how did he expect Naruto to ever be done if he didn't keep his big, stupid mouth shut? 'I swear I'm going to hold this over him for a long time. If he thinks that I'm just going to forgive him then he's so wrong.'

"Well, I was just thinking," Iruka began, "Maybe, after you clean this all up, I could take you out for some ramen; the good stuff. What do you think?" He tried to make his tone sound indifferent and even scratched his cheek as if what he was saying was no big deal. It was a good thing Iruka was a ninja and not an actor.

Akina set her mouth in a firm line. "Did you know that bribery is one of the major indicators of a corrupt society?" Not that she honestly cared what they did. As soon as she finished the last test, she would be long gone and rid of the pests.

"Corrupt, shmorrupt!" Naruto exclaimed, "Now that's some serious motivation. I'll have this clean in no time!" Maybe he could forgive Iruka this one time. He really was a swell guy, and what are a few child-labor-law-breaking punishments between friends?

Twenty minutes later, a breeze caused one of the tests to go flying from the pile. It twirled gracefully in the air before it not so gracefully smacked into Iruka's face. He snatched the paper off of his eyes. "Hey Akina, I think you lost one. You really should keep better track of th-Akina?" he didn't want to turn and look at the girl, it was easier to talk to her if he couldn't see her staring back at him, but when he finally did turn to hand her back the test, he realized that he was alone atop the monument. In Akina's place there was a rock holding down a tiny piece of paper that flapped wildly in the breeze. Now why couldn't she have used he rock to weigh down the tests?

Iruka pushed the rock aside and picked up the note. In chicken-scratch there were two words written that made Iruka laugh to himself. "Punishment complete," he read aloud. Of course she'd be more concerned with her note blowing away than protecting the grades of her classmates. "Akina Yamoshi…what a weird girl.

Akina was walking down the dirt road when she suddenly let out a sneeze. "Someone," she mumbled, "Is talking about me." Even though the day was coming to an end, the sun beat down and caused her pale skin to feel tight and tingle. She didn't like it one bit. Why didn't the sky do her a favor and rain for once? Seriously, what was so wonderful about a flaming ball of gas that was approximately 149,597,887.5 kilometers (or 92955817.6765569 miles) away and gave people cancer on a daily basis? She gazed up at the sky, hoping to see some indication of dark clouds that were moving in from the horizon, but alas her dreams were crushed by the clear, blue sky that mocked her shamelessly.

'I suppose that it would be a wise choice to return home. Mother and father may be curious as to the reason behind my lack of presence after school, and it would be most unpleasant to have to explain myself to my idiot older brother. He is quite a handful.' That wasn't really a huge reason for her to go. Honestly, she didn't care much if she was missed at home or even if her brother made a mess. As long as the mess stayed out of her room of course, because then she would have to clean it later. What really made up her mind was the thought of the food that would go to waste if she stayed out too long. And so, she followed her tiny feet as they lead her towards the direction of her home.

The sky had been painted black for about an hour before Naruto and Iruka arrived at the Ichiraku Ramen Bar. It wasn't one of those fancy or high-class establishments. No, it was more like the type of place that a family would go when one of the kids got a good grade on a test and they wanted to celebrate. It just had one of those happy, homey vibes, you know?

The layout was pretty simple. Upstairs acted as a house while the bar was down below. The front didn't have any kind of door or even a wall set up to separate the bar from the outside. There was a long red counter with a line of about eight stools set up. The kitchen was located right behind the counter so the smell drifted right up into the customer's face and out into the street. It was a good way to attract hungry civilians that happened to walk by.

The owner was a guy by the name of Teuchi. He was a good guy I suppose. Not really all that young or attractive, probably mid-forties with a face that was wrinkled from years of smiling and laughing. I'm not kidding, the guy almost never frowned, and even if he did nobody would know because his face was most likely frozen like that. Have your parents ever told you not to pull the skin on the sides of your eyes out to stretch them out because they'll get stuck that way? Well it's pretty much the same thing. He was always wearing his chef's uniform too. Even outside of work, though not many people got to see him when he wasn't working.

He ran the whole place with his daughter, Ayame. Unlike her dad, she was a really pretty girl. She was only in her late teens, so she still had a youthful glow about her, but at the same time she wasn't immature like the awkward kids that laughed at the smallest mention of boobs. She had long, brown hair that she pulled out of her face with a small white bandana that fluttered as she moved about the bar. Her eyes were an even darker shade of brown that contrasted greatly against her soft, pale skin which glowed in the lights from overhead. Overall, both of them were pretty nice people and good cooks to boot which made them very popular with the customers.

On one of the stools Naruto sat and slurped his ramen right from the bowl. Well, it was more like he inhaled the ramen right from his bowl. But who could blame him? They were good noodles.

Iruka sat on the stool to Naruto's right and was much calmer while consuming his dinner. What was the rush? It wasn't like the ramen was going to get up and run away if he didn't eat it. Besides, he had things that he needed to talk with Naruto about. "Naruto."

"Hm?" That was all Naruto could manage with his mouth filled to the brim with ramen.

"Why would you do that to the Hokage faces? I mean you know who the Hokage are, don't you?" Did you ever notice that teachers are always the ones who ask the most questions? They always have to know the "How" and "Why" of every situation. It's never as easy as punishing someone and hoping that he or she learned a lesson. You know that if you do something wrong and a teacher punishes you then you're going to be asked all kinds of questions about your reasons behind what you did. Maybe teachers aren't spontaneous people.

"Of course I do," Naruto paused to take a long slurp and finish off the last contents of his ramen bowl, "Everybody knows. They were the greatest shinobi of their times, right? The best of the best? Undefeated ninja champs?" He paused for only a moment before he started up again. "And the Fourth Hokage is the one who saved the village from the Nine-Tailed-Fox. He was the most amazing."

"Then why did you-"

"Because I'm going to be greater than any of them," Naruto said proudly. "Me, Naruto, the next Hokage, a ninja legend. Then everyone will have to stop disrespecting me and look up to me, believe it!" Naruto was practically bursting now. He felt like if anyone would understand his dream it was Iruka.

Said man was looking at him with a very surprised look. Such an outburst was unexpected in such a public place. He was so out of it that he almost forgot to finish sucking up the noodle that hung limp between his slightly parted lips. He really couldn't think of a proper way to respond to what his pupil had just told him. How could he scold the kid for pursuing his dream? On the other hand he couldn't praise him for what he had done, and letting it go was definitely out of the question. Luckily, Naruto quickly changed the subject before he had time to say anything.

"Uh, by the way, I kinda wanted to ask a little favor, sensei."

"You want another bowl?" It was a logical assumption on Iruka's part; Naruto had gone through that last one relatively quickly.

But Naruto declined the offer. That wasn't at all what he was after, but was it really okay to ask? "I," he paused briefly, "Want to try on your headband. C'mon, please?" he begged.

Iruka blinked twice while his brain sifted through what he had just been asked before he let out a laugh. "Oh, this?" he asked while he grasped the metal part of the Hidden Leaf ninja forehead protector in between his thumb and index finger. Naruto whipped his head up and down. "No way," the boy's face turned glum, "You can only wear the Leaf Headband when you finally graduate from the academy and become a ninja. You've gotta pass the test tomorrow."

Oh yes, tomorrow was the day that could start the students' careers of being a ninja. It was a fairly simple idea for an exam. They would be asked to perform a jutsu in front of two chuunin and would be graded based on their performances. If a student did not pass, he or she would have to retake the class and try again the following year. Those who did pass would begin their lives as ninja, going on exciting missions and seeing all kinds of new places. It was no big deal.

"Aww man, that is so uncool," Naruto whined.

Iruka just laughed, "Hey is that why you took off your goggles?"

He saw right through Naruto's plan. Sure enough, the pair of goggles that Naruto usually kept perched atop his head had been shoved into his jacket pocket. He couldn't let Iruka know that he was right, and so he sneakily changed the subject, "Uh, I want another bowl!" Okay, so maybe it wasn't so sneaky.

While the whole dialogue at the ramen bar was going on, Akina was just arriving home. It was a pretty small house. It only had one floor, there were three bedrooms to fit all four occupants, and one bathroom was shared among the family. Of course there were still the other typical rooms like a kitchen and a living room, but there was no dining room. Instead, a table was set up in the living room where all the meals were eaten. When they bought it, Akina's parents had told her that it was "cute" and "quaint."

Akina preferred "cramped" and "over-crowded."

There was no privacy at all in such a small abode. Unfortunately for her, she did not pay for the house expenses and was thus stuck with the "cute" house. She tried to stay quiet as she turned the doorknob and stepped into the hallway. She sat down, pulled off her shoes, and began to rub her throbbing feet. Walking was such a pain, literally.

Apparently, she wasn't quiet enough when she came in because she soon found herself being suffocated by a gigantic bear. All the circulation in her arms was cut off as were her airways as the bear's arms lifted her off the ground and tightened painfully around her mid-section. It wasn't very pleasant to say the least.

With the last of her breath she managed two words, "Hello…Father…"

The bear, who was actually more man than bear, responded in his booming voice, "My little princess, where have you been? Are you okay? You're not hurt are you? Oh, Papa was so worried about you!" He blubbered and started to twirl around, Akina still in his grip.

Tomi Yamoshi was one of the over-zealous men Akina had ever known. When she was a child he would always pick her up, spin her around, hug her, and he would always call her his "little princess." He periodically bought her gifts for no apparent reason other than he saw something that he thought he would like. He was just that kind of person. The funny part about al of this is that he looked like he should be a commander for the army, not a teddy giving, bedtime story reading, softie. He towered over most of the people in the village, and his body looked like it had been chiseled out of a rock. The man had muscles _everywhere_. His face was scary enough to make small children cry. That actually happened once, and now Tomi isn't allowed to be Santa at the Yamoshi family Christmas party. It didn't really matter though, because everyone knew that deep down he was a good guy. His eyes proved that. They were often hidden behind shaggy, dirty blonde hair, but their bright blue color made them easy to spot even while hidden behind the waterfall of yellow. His eyes were always wide and excited, as if he had just learned something new that he wanted everyone else to know.

Suddenly, a shape flew down the hallway and delivered a powerful blow right to Tomi's head. And so, just when she thought she was going to be rendered unconscious, she was released and fell to the floor with a thud. Her thud was completely covered up by an even bigger one that followed right after as her father's massive body came crashing down.

A loud, feminine voice rang out, "Stop your sniveling, you big baby! You can't start crying every time our daughter comes in a little late. Where is your pride as a man?" She then turned on the young girl who had recovered from her fall and was working on getting the blood and air flowing in her body again. "And you, young lady, where in the world have you been?" Her brown eyes were sharp, as if she was ready to cut Akina's mind open and find the answer herself if she wasn't supplied with one. How terrifying those beautiful eyes were.

Out of all the people that Akina knew, her mother was probably her favorite. Izanami Yamoshi, born Izanami Sato, was almost always there to save her daughter from close physical contact; something Akina was always grateful for. She wasn't the type of person that got worked up over sentimental stuff. In fact, she frowned on such frivolous things. She was great like that. You never had to worry about buying her things or offering petty compliments that were not at all genuine more often than not. You were expected to do what she asked when she asked it, and other than that you just had to stay out of her way. Akina adored that. There was no air about her mother; she was what she was and didn't take anything from anyone. Izanami Yamoshi was a real-life superwoman. Her dark brown hair was tied up in a bun that pulled her hair so tightly that it made her hair look like it was actually attached to her scalp. Her face had small wrinkles all over, something she didn't try to hide. "They're my laugh lines," she would often say, "I got them from being so darn happy all the time, and if anyone has anything to say about that then they can just go choke." She was really something.

Izanami wiped her hands on the apron, "Well? Are you going to answer me?"

Akina stood up slowly and brushed off some dirt from her pants. Stuff like that was so annoying. How could a person be expected to have a conversation with dirt on his or her pants? "Mother, there is dust on the floor, should I go and fetch the broom?"

"Stop changing the subject!" Izanami exclaimed, "But yes, that would be very nice, get to it. Now, are you going to tell me why you were so late getting home?"

Akina glided to the hall closet and grabbed along wooden broom. It was old and had splinters coming out like porcupine quills. She dragged it behind her as she made her way back to the doorway. "I was punished by Mr. Umino. I apologize for not being home sooner, but it took longer than I has initially expected," she said nonchalantly as she slowly swept away the dust. The broom made tiny swishing sounds against the wood as it slid from right to left. Akina followed the bristles with her eyes; right to left; right to left.

"You were _what_?" Tomi, who had finally decided to lift himself from his spot on the floor, screamed.

Akina flinched. Did he have to be so loud all of the time? She was standing right next to him, so why was he always shouting? He was such a pain. "I was punished, father. You know, an act of reprimanding inflicted on an offender for doing something that is considered wrong?"

"I know what punishment is Akina."

"Oh," she continued sweeping the hallway. All the dirt was gone, but the swishing sound was so peaceful that Akina wanted to hear it over and over.

"Akina, I don't think that was what your father was trying to ask."

"Oh? Then what was the topic of his inquiry?" asked Akina, though she really didn't sound at all curious.

"I think what he was trying to ask was _why_ you were punished," Izanami sighed, exasperated.

"Was that what you meant, father?"

Tomi rapidly nodded his head, Akina readied herself incase she had to dodge it if it came lying off his shoulders. "Yes! Papa wants to know what my precious little princess could have possibly done to get in trouble." Were those tears in his eyes?

A loud smacking sound echoed throughout the house as Izanami's shoe collided with Tomi's face. "You idiot, don't go getting all emotional and crap." A large red mark formed on his cheek that fit the shape of the sandal perfectly.

"But Mama-"

"No buts! Man up you big wuss."

Akina was quickly getting tired of the noise. What was wrong with a quiet night where everyone minded their own business? She looked up at the ceiling and tried to tune out the racket her parents were making. She became caught up in a stream of light that came through the window. It looked like a bird that was spreading its wings towards the door, but its reach ended a foot before the wall. The poor bird would never reach the outside world. It was so sad that Akina had to look away from it.

Tomi and Izanami were so distracted by their own argument that neither of them noticed Akina as she placed the broom back in the closet and soundlessly ascended the staircase into her room.

Even if she had gone blind she would have known that she was in her bedroom because as soon as she opened the door she was hit with the smell of vanilla. She closed her eyes and inhaled to sooth her mind. Like the rest of her house, her room was incredibly small. The only things that she had in there were a twin sized bed, a hamper for dirty laundry, a bookshelf that was almost filled to capacity with scrolls and books on different types of jutsus, the history of ninjas, and chakra control, and an old wooden dresser. The dresser used to belong to her grandmother. It didn't hold a lot of sentimental value to Akina because she never met the woman, but it was still a good place to put all of her clothes. Other than those things the room was bare. The walls weren't decorated with pictures or cute posters, and there was no desk for homework (that was done on the bed). There was nothing anywhere to indicate that a twelve-year-old child, let alone a girl one, resided there. Even the floor was free of any kind of clutter. It was so clean, so plain, and so Akina.

Akina took her book out of her messenger bag and rested it on the bed. She was carful to not wrinkle the blue sheets. If there was one thing that Akina hated it was wrinkles in her bed. How was she expected to get ready to go to sleep if her covers were all wrinkled? She then made her way to the dresser and pulled out a pair of loose flannel pants and a white shirt that hung down to her knees. She stripped down and put her previous outfit in the hamper and changed into her sleepwear. It still had the lingering sickly sweet smell of laundry detergent.

She was brought out of her thoughts when her stomach growled at her. It was mad at her for not eating dinner no doubt, but she had seen the dishes in the sink and knew that she had missed the meal. She could have easily gone downstairs and reheated the food, but that would have been pointless because Akina never ate food that was warmed up. The very idea was repulsive to her. Food was meant to be eaten when it was fresh, not after being cooled and heated again. She also could have gone down and made herself something else to eat, but she didn't want to make the effort.

And so, Akina moved her book to the foot of her bed and climbed underneath the covers. She didn't fall asleep for about four hours, but she never moved once from her spot. After all, she didn't want any wrinkles in her covers.

The next day, Akina once again found herself sitting in the back of the classroom. Iruka was giving a speech from the front; not that she was really paying attention, but it wasn't her fault. Her book was just more interesting than anything that her teacher had to say. She hung on every letter as she made mental pictures of each scene. This alternate life was so captivating that looking up to listen to Iruka talk seemed like a sin.

"We will now begin the final exams," Iruka announced, "When your name is called, please proceed to the testing room." He looked down at the sheet that he held in his hand. It was a list of all the students in his class in alphabetical order. One by one he called students into the back where they were tested on their abilities. This test would determine their futures as ninja. If a student passed, he or she would start his or her career as ninja of the hidden leaf and go on exciting missions to faraway lands filled with adventure. Those who failed would be forced to sit in class taking notes until they were given another chance to take the exam the next year. This was the biggest test that any one of those students had ever taken.

Akina yawned and turned the page. She was still a little tired after not being able to get to sleep for so long. Plus being in class was much more boring than usual. It didn't matter if she failed. She would just take it again after a year. Besides, she would have less time to read if she was on missions, so passing wasn't looking like such a fabulous option. On the other hand, if se failed she would have to get a long lecture from her parents which she wasn't looking forward to either, so either way she was going to have to endure some kind of pain. Where was the justice in that?

"The final test will be on," Iruka paused, probably for dramatic effect, "The clone jutsu." Isn't it funny when someone pauses for dramatic effect, but it's not really all that dramatic? Not really, right? Yeah, I thought so.

'How terribly uninteresting,' Akina thought as she flipped another page. In her head she went over what one of her books on genjutsu had told her about the clone jutsu. 'The Clone Jutsu must be mastered by any ninja who has graduated from the shinobi academy. It's the most basic technique a Genin must know, since it can be a real lifesaver. This ninjutsu creates a simple illusion clone identical to the caster. Unfortunately, the clone has no physical properties and will disperse the moment it is touched. Clones aren't solid, so they can't hold or touch anything, which also means that they don't leave foot print. Unlike the Shadow Clone Jutsu, ordinary clones can not be used to transfer knowledge once they are dispelled. They can't perform any jutsus, nor are their weapons real. They produce no sound, but they do, however, produce a shadow. To perform this jutsu the hand sign combinations needed are the ram, boar, ox, dog or the ram, snake, tiger.' Ladies and gentlemen, this is proof of the wonderful benefits of studying.

Sadly, not everyone was as confident in their abilities as Akina. In the faraway land of the other side of the classroom, Naruto felt his stomach drop into his foot. He grabbed his head and let out a loud groan of despair. "Ugh! That's my worst technique. Great; now I'm never going to pass." Why was stuff like this always happening to him? Sometimes it seemed like he was a tiny ant scurrying in the dirt, and the universe was a big kid with a magnifying glass trying to burn him alive just to watch him squirm. What kind of cruel karma was this? What was worse was that they were going in alphabetical order. This meant that his mental anguish would be drawn out even longer. It took a whole hour and a half before Iruka finally popped his head back into the room and called Naruto down to face his fate.

The testing room was nothing more than another classroom that had already been cleared out for summer. Naruto had never been in their before, but the layout was exactly the same as the room he was just in. There was a large blackboard that covered most of the wall at the front of the room, and the floor was made of wood as was the desk that sat right in front of the blackboard. Other than that the room was completely bare. There were absolutely no distractions which made it perfect for a testing location.

Naruto looked back at the two teaches behind the desk. Iruka was on Naruto's left while another teacher sat to Naruto's right. He wore the same uniform as Iruka, indentifying him as another Chunin. His hair was shoulder length, completely white, and swished gracefully with each turn of his head. His eyes were black and looked even darker when compared to his hair. His mouth was curled into a pleasant and encouraging smile that seemed to make the room just a little brighter. Despite how nice this man seemed, Naruto knew that he and Iruka were the only people preventing him from becoming a ninja, so he couldn't help but feel a little resentment towards the pair.

Naruto wouldn't let these two stand in his way. He needed to pass this test and become a ninja, so he could fulfill his lifelong dream of becoming the Fifth Hokage. He wasn't going to let fear get in the way of his future. Besides, Iruka knew how much this test meant to him, so he had to give him a little leniency, right? After all, Iruka was a pretty good guy deep down, so there wasn't anything to be nervous about, and it was already noted that the other teacher didn't seem too bad either, so maybe he did have a chance. 'Alright, get it together Naruto;' the blonde commanded himself, 'you can do this.' Isn't it funny how the brain can trick you into believing something that just isn't true?

Naruto's performance on the exam was close, but as a very wise man once said, "Close only counts in horseshoes and hand-grenades." He did the hand signs sloppily, his chakra was under mediocre control, and he was so nervous that he could barely focus on what he was doing. All of this was enough to complete the jutsu, but with such messy preparations it was no shock that the result would be just as messy.

Naruto's clone, not clones, stood next to him. Well, it didn't stand per say. The clone lay on the ground in a pitiful heap that reeked of failure. The thing was like a brainless zombie. It was so pale that it would have completely blended in with the bleached walls if it wasn't for the orange in the clone's jumpsuit (at least this jutsu was clothed, even if the clothes were faded as well), its eyes were void of all emotion and rolled to the back of its head, and it's tongue hung limp out of its mouth. It made the senseis sad just to have to look at it.

Naruto knew deep down the moment that he created such a monstrosity that he would not be passing this exam. After all, he wasn't a stupid kid; he just liked to do his own thing. It was a real shame that "his own thing" didn't usually involve studying.

"You fail!" And just like that, Naruto felt his stomach drop into his foot, out his shoe, and through the floor. Iruka's two words had no-handedly sealed his fate. The only thing that the blonde could think about was his dream of becoming the Fifth Hokage of the Hidden Leaf Village. This wasn't how it was supposed to happen! How could Naruto ever become the next Hokage if he couldn't even pass the ninja academy to become a Genin? He couldn't, that's how.

"Iruka-sensei," the other teacher cut in, "He's off, but his moves weren't bad, and he did hang in there and replicate. This is his third try so you know he really wants to become a ninja. We could cut him a break and pass him." Was this all really happening? Naruto felt his hope fly back into him all at once. He knew that this guy gave off a nice vibe, but he ever would have imagined anything like this to happen. Maybe he did something nice, and the karma fairies were finally rewarding him.

"Mizuki-sensei, the other students created at least three effective replications, but Naruto could only create one, and look at it, it's pitiful. I can't pass him."

The karma fairies did decide to pay Naruto a visit, but apparently it wasn't the good kind of karma fairies. They were the evil, sadistic fairies that enjoyed to watch poor children squirm as all their hopes and dreams were snatched away from them. This was just peachy.

Akina sat outside the school after her exam and fiddled with her new forehead protector. She didn't like it very much. It had reflected a beam of sunlight from the window in her eyes the moment she passed through the door into the testing room and gave her a headache that distracted her during her exam. She had passed despite the obstacle, but her head started to hurt again every time she looked at it. Why did Iruka have to give her this very one? She wanted to trade it in for another one, but she wasn't about to go back inside and ask to do so. First of all, she was already outside and didn't want to walk all the way back to the room, and secondly, it would have been very annoying to have to explain to Iruka why she wanted to trade her forehead protector for another one that was completely identical to the one she had received. She already suspected that he thought she was a little screwed up mentally and didn't need to further her reputation.

And so, Akina was stuck with the head aches. She wanted very badly to throw her forehead protector at a tree. That would show the stupid contraption who's boss, but then it might have gotten scratched, and she didn't want that at all. It was bad enough that her head throbbed; she didn't want to deal with scuffs on her new forehead protector as well. Her poor brain would probably explode.

Because her last name started with a "Y," Akina was one of the last people to take the exam. There were a few people after her, like Akito, but for the most part everyone had gathered in a huge mob in front of the school building to show off their proof of graduation to their friends and families. Parents were telling their children how proud they were and how they know that they could do it all along. It was awful to have to listen to. If there was one thing Akina couldn't stand, it was a mass number of people all gathered in one place; especially when the people are all being disgustingly mushy. Couldn't they save that kind of stuff for at home where they weren't giving migraines to young brunette girls who just wanted some peace and quiet? She had to get away from them all, but where could she go?

It was at that moment that she set her eyes on a place in the shade of a huge tree near the fence of the school. It was perfect. She could sit behind the tree, and nobody would have been able to spot her. There was only one problem with her temporary hideout. Even though the ground wasn't occupied, the swing that hung from the tree was. Naruto brushed his feet on the ground sadly. Akina paused for a minute to weigh the pros and cons of going over to the tree. If she went, she would be able to get away from the crowd and all of its sickly sweet vibes, and she would be out of the sun which helped her by lowering her chance of melanoma and saving her from the glare of her forehead protector. On the other hand, if she went over there she would most likely have to make small talk with her blonde classmate, and worst case scenario she would have to listen to his tales of woe and pretend to care.

An accidental elbow in the ribs from one of the kids in the crowd helped her finalize her decision. Unfortunately, before she could move a foot from her spot, she felt her waist grabbed, and her body was pressed up against something soft and warm. It didn't feel bad, but it was unexpected, so Akina went to spin gracefully around to face her captor. What she ended up spinning into wasn't her captor's face, but his chest. All she could see was a mix of red and various shades of gray, but that was all she needed before she could identify the man with his hands dangerously close to her rear. She told him something calmly, but it was muffled by his shirt.

"Huh? What'd you say?" Akina felt his arms shift, allowing her to breath in some fresh air. She wasn't happy at all; hugs were not something that she looked forward to, and she tried to avoid them whenever possible.

"I said," she started, her face completely void, "Kyou, let me go." She said every word like it was a new sentence. She hoped that the pauses would allow the boy's mind to fully comprehend what she said.

"Aww that's not very nice. Aren't you happy to see me?" Kyou Miyagi was really something else. His outfit consisted of: a white poncho that only covered the top part of his chest and his shoulder (it was obviously more for fashion purposes than utility), a pair of beige shorts, and a t-shirt that was the color of blood. Underneath his clothes he wore fishnets that ended at his ankles and wrists. The clothes were weird to say the least, but the rest of him was pretty weird too. He had flaming red hair that danced around his face in the breeze, and bright green eyes that never seemed to stay still. They were always looking around for something fun to do. And then, there was his mouth. Akina believed that when he was little he stretched his mouth so much that it became stuck that way because Kyou never seemed to stop wearing that idiotic grin on his face, and she could never seem to make him shut up. Needless to say, he was a very annoying person. He was also overly affectionate. Seriously, it was as if every time Akina pushed him away he would come back twice as hard. The boy needed to learn some limits. That moment was a prime example.

"No, I am not," and before he could respond, Akina slipped out of his grasp.

Kyou just laughed, "You're so funny sometimes."

Akina's mouth set in a firm line. Did he think she was joking around with him? On top of being annoying, he was also a moron. Then again, he had been this way for as long as she could remember. "I'm leaving," she said, "Don't follow me." She spun around and headed towards the tree once again, but luck didn't seem to be on her side. Kyou grasped her wrist. His hand easily curled around the whole thing, preventing her from moving.

"Hey, I was just wondering, do you want to come over later for dinner? You could bring the whole family if you want."

There was a slight pause, as if she was thinking it over, but in reality, Akina knew her response right away, she was just thinking of the right words to say. The brunette finally settled on a simple, "No."

"Oh, okay then. I guess we can do it some other time." Kyou was still grinning like an imbecile as he released her wrist. Akina didn't spare him a second glance as she started walking again.

The shade under the tree was nice. It allowed Akina's eyes to relax, and the breeze cooled down her skin that had been warmed by the sun. Her fingers brushed the cover of the book that was peaking out of her pocket. She slid down the tree trunk and whipped it out, never once looking at the blonde ninja who sat in the swing. Of course, he was staring at her. If some strange girl just came right up and sat down next to you, and started reading without saying anything, you would probably stare too.

"Hey," Naruto said to get her attention. It wouldn't hurt to be friendly; she seemed like an okay person.

Akina flashed her eyes to him, but they didn't linger for more than a moment, "May I help you?"

"I'm Naruto."

"Oh." A long pause followed, but Akina didn't mind. She could never tire of such beautiful silence. Naruto, on the other hand, found Akina's lack of contribution to the conversation irritating. Here he was, trying to be courteous to this weird girl, and she doesn't even make an effort to be the slightest bit nice to him. The brunette sensed his annoyance. Normally she would've just ignored him and kept reading, but his constant staring was making her lose her focus. How did anyone expect her to be able to read while being watched like some exotic animal at the zoo?

Naruto saw her eyes close slowly and then look up at him. They were empty as always, and it made him uneasy. He started kicking the dirt to keep himself occupied. Akina place a small, bony hand on the foot that was closest to her. She could have grabbed both, but then she would've had to move from her comfortable spot and would've been too much of a hassle. "I would appreciate it very much if you would cease shoving your shoes in the dirt."

At least she was talking to him. Maybe now he could have an actual conversation with her. "Why?"

She sighed, exasperatedly. Could he really be that dense? "You're getting your feet dirty, and if you stub your toe on a rock and cut it open, then you're opening yourself up to all kinds of diseases. Do you want to get your foot infected so that it had to be amputated? Personally, I am thoroughly against having any of my limbs hacked off. Think about it. Hospitals are filled with sick people, so if you get an operation there, then you expose yourself to a whole new set of germs that could make you even more sick, and then you could die. _That_ is why you should stop." Akina didn't sound at all genuinely concerned for his well being. Her whole speech was said in that same monotone, haunting whisper that made his skin crawl. 'Honestly, how could you not come to that conclusion on your own?' she thought with disdain. He deserved to lose a foot.

Naruto was staring at her like she had just confessed she was an alien. He understood why most people avoided talking to her. It wasn't because she had an attitude problem, because she was antisocial, or because she was too shy. It was because she was completely insane. "No offense, but that's the weirdest thing that I have ever heard, and I've heard some really weird things in my life." Naruto looked down and let out a long breath to try and clear his head. In with the good air, and out with the crazy air.

Now that he had stopped dragging his feet and wasn't staring at her, Akina saw no reason she should not return to her book, and silence returned to the shade. Have you ever noticed that not talking makes it very easy to listen to what others are saying? Yeah, life's funny that way.

Out in the crowd, two women were talking to each other. Every once in a while they would motion towards the area where Naruto and Akina were sitting. Akina couldn't see them from behind her book, but Naruto easily saw the pair. He saw their hate-filled stares, their mouths that curled down in hatred, and their noses that turned up as if smelling something too foul for words to describe. The first woman turned to her companion and whispered, "There, you see him?"

"It's that boy. I heard he's the only one who failed."

The first woman let out a sneer. "Serves him right," she said.

"Just imagine what would happen if he became a ninja. I mean he's the boy who-" the second woman was interrupted before she could say any more.

"Shh, were not allowed to talk about that."

Naruto looked down. His eyes burned from tears that threatened to overflow, but he knew he couldn't let anyone see him in such a pitiful state. He pulled his goggles down to hide his eyes from the crowd. How could they be so cruel? He had never done anything that bad, so why did it seem like everyone was treating him like some kind of monster that deserved to die? Why was he always blamed for things? He wasn't a bad kid. Sure, from time to time he pulled a prank, but it was never anything serious enough to make him deserve to be hated by total strangers, did it?

The blonde was pulled out of his thoughts by the sound of crunching leaves. His head whipped to the side and was met by a familiar white-haired chunin. Mizuki offered a kind and comforting smile. Naruto couldn't help being drawn to the older man's warmth.

"Hey Naruto, can I steal you away for a bit? I have something I want to talk to you about."

"O-Oh yeah sure, it's no problem. Akina, you're okay if I leave you here, right?" Naruto asked.

The brunette shooed him away with a flick of the wrist. She wasn't in the mood to be disturbed, and her classmate wasn't helping at all. The sooner he left, the quicker she could get back to her story.

On the other side of the crowd, the Hokage and Iruka stood against the school building and watched as the whole scene played out. Iruka's eyes were narrowed in suspicion, and the Hokage hid his face in the shadow of his hat. "Iruka," the older man began, "There's something we need to talk about. Back in the shade, the empty swing went back and forth wildly before gradually coming to a stop.

* * *

Hey guys, I really hope you like this chapter, but I would really appreciate some criticism because I'm still new to writing. If you give me some good advice, I will climb a mountain and sing your praises to the heavens. Okay, I won't really do that, but I would definitely do something nice for you. Maybe I could write a oneshot or drabble for you and give you lot of shoutouts in my stories. Also, if anyone is willing to beta for me that would be so wondeful!


	4. Chapter 3

**Sorry for the wait guys! In addition to my usual procrastination, there was a few issues involving my wonderful beta reader's computer which prevented me from getting this out sooner. Nevertheless, I hope you all enjoy the latest chapter of _Vanilla. _**

**Oh! I want to say one more thing before I let you all go. A few of my friends and I wrote a collab together based on this series that I posted on here. It's called _Love Saves Lives_, and I would really appreciate it if you guys would check that out (though obviously you don't have to).**

* * *

~Chapter 3~

Akina closed her book and shielded her eyes as she felt herself being suddenly blinded by a bright light. The sun was going down, but it had only gone far enough to be at a point where it wasn't hidden behind any trees or buildings. It seemed to enjoy sending its rays straight into Akina's eyes as if telling her she needed to go home where her family would be waiting to congratulate her on becoming a ninja. Neither of her parents had seen her after she took the exam. Her father had to work, so he couldn't make it, and she had already known that her mother wouldn't be coming. Izanami made it clear a while ago that she wouldn't be caught dead at an "annoying blubber-fest filled with overly mushy invertebrates that needed to grow a pair."

She really didn't mind that her parents weren't there. It gave her more time to read in peace. Akito had showed up soon after Naruto left with Mizuki, but he only stayed long enough to ell her that he was going out to celebrate with some friends of his, and nobody else from her school came over to talk to her. Overall, she had been pretty much left alone; which, by the way, was completely fine with Akina.

Social interaction was so overrated.

Akina paused her reading when her stomach let out a loud growl. Her eyes narrowed as she looked down. "You're not a dog," she told it, "So don't growl at me."

She stood up and stretched her stiff limbs. Maybe the tree wasn't such a good spot after all. She took ten whole minutes to brush off the dirt on her pants before she decided it was time to return home. She had skipped out on her dinner the night before, and she didn't plan on doing it again.

Not too far away, Naruto and Mizuki were sitting on a rock balcony outside Naruto's window with the sunset at their backs. It cast shadows that stretched past the edge of the roof and plummeted to the earth below. The air was cooling at the same rate as the sun was descending, but it was still considerably warm. Naruto unzipped his jacket and placed it beside him. For fifteen minutes the only sound that Naruto and Mizuki heard was the fabric as it rustled in the soft breeze.

Mizuki was the first one to break the silence. "Iruka-sensei's tough, but he's not against you," he said. His tone was honest and comforting, and Naruto felt a pang of anger. How come Mizuki, who he had just met that day, was so supportive while Iruka, who he had known all his life, ragged on him for every misdemeanor offense? Did Iruka really not know how much Naruto wanted to graduate? Or did he just not care?

"Then why?" asked Naruto "Why only me?"

"He wants you to be strong with all of his heart, but that will never happen if he goes easy on you." The breeze that blew through their hair was almost as soft and comforting as the tone of Mizuki's voice. "He's like you, y'know? He doesn't have any parents or family of his own."

Naruto's face fell. There were so many different emotions swimming through his head that he didn't know what to feel. There was sympathy for his sensei's lack of family, loneliness from his own, anger at that same sensei for failing him, and disappointment towards himself for not being strong enough to pass. "But this time, I really wanted to graduate."

Mizuki gave a soft chuckle and tilted his head to look at Naruto. "Then, I guess I have to tell you." Naruto spun around and made a small sound to signify his confusion. "It's a secret," Mizuki said, "But I'm going to let you in on it."

Naruto stared at him and tilted his head to the side as he thought, 'A secret?'

That night, Iruka lay awake in his bed and stared at the full moon through his window. A stream of moonlight cast dancing shadows on the walls as the tree branches outside shook in the breeze. But it wasn't the noise or the light that kept him awake. It was what the Hokage had said to him back at the school. He couldn't get it out of his head.

* * *

_Iruka followed the Hokage back inside the school building away from the crowd of people outside. He knew that whatever it was that he was about to hear, it must have been important if the Hokage didn't want anyone else to hear it, so he didn't say a word about their change of location. The Third was the first to speak. "Iruka," he said. His face was solemn and his mouth was set in a grim line. Iruka was immediately put on edge._

_"__What is it, Lord Hokage?"_

_The elderly man placed a hand on Iruka's shoulder in a comforting gesture. The Hokage knew that what he was about to say would stir up some ill feelings, but the Chunin needed to hear what he was about to say. "I know how you feel. You grew up just like Naruto; without knowing the love of a mother or a father and the warmth of a family."_

* * *

Iruka rolled over and fixed his gaze on the wall. The topic of his parents was a touchy subject even though it had been twelve years since the day that they were both taken away from him. That kind of pain never really goes away. He knew that the Third was right though. He and Naruto were very similar. Maybe that's why he always pushed the blonde student so hard.

His mind wandered from his conversation with the Third to another memory. This one had plagued him for the last twelve years of his life. It was the last time that he ever saw his parents alive, and he tightened his grip on his bed sheets as images of that night flashed through his mind.

* * *

_The nine-tailed-fox pounded its monstrous paws into the ground as it let out a vicious snarl that echoed through the night air. Just like in the legend, its breath was hot and smelled of death. Blood covered the forest and turned the green foliage a sickening red. The village had never seen such an embodiment of destruction and pain as the beast that stood before them. Hope for survival seemed to grow smaller and smaller with every passing second._

_"It's getting closer! Don't let it near the village!" The command could barely be heard over the screams of terror and agony._

_A small boy was being dragged away by a ninja. His brown locks flapped wildly in their high ponytail. They were moving almost as much as his limbs that he flailed in a futile attempt to get free. This child was none other than Iruka Umino. "Let me go! My mom and dad are still fighting out there!" He let out a frustrated yell that someone rang out over the terrified screams of the other people in the area._

_The demon's ears twitched at the sound of Iruka's voice and it turned his head so that he was staring right at him. It was in that moment when chocolate orbs met those of a blazing red that Iruka got his first glimpse of what fear truly was. It gripped his entire being and he felt __every inch of his body run cold._

* * *

"Iruka-sensei, wake up!" Iruka was brought out of his thoughts by frantic pounding on his door. He immediately flung himself out of bed, ignoring the rush of cold that hit him as his covers dropped to the floor. When he opened the door he was met with a burst of crisp night air and a shiver went up his spine, but that wasn't the only thing he was met with. Mizuki stood outside his house with distress written all over his body. His hand was clenched in the air mid-knock, his face was scrunched up in desperation, and his breaths came out in the form of quick smoke-clouds.

"What? What is it?" Iruka asked.

"You need to come to Lord Hokage's right away. It's Naruto, he stole the sacred scroll!"

Iruka felt his stomach drop. "You mean the scroll of sealing? No!" Stealing that sacred text put whole village in grave danger. It contained many forbidden techniques, starting with the Multi-Shadow Clone Jutsu, and because of the dangerous techniques it contained, the scroll had been sealed away by the First Hokage. How had Naruto been able to get his hands on it?

The two sensei took off at full speed towards the Third's manor. Unfortunately, their conversation had not been kept as quiet as they would have liked. They were both in such a hurry that neither of them noticed the tiny brunette girl on her way home who had heard everything that they had said.

Akina never liked having a house that was on the other side of town from her school. The walks between the two locations were far too long. Usually she was cursed by being forced to listen to the conversations of strangers who she didn't particularly feel like knowing anything about. However, that particular conversation between the two senseis had caught her interest. The Scroll of Sealing was supposed to have been kept in the Hokage's house which meant that Naruto would have had to sneak past the defence of the single most powerful man in the entire village. Her empty eyes stared up at the night sky that was filled with sparkling stars, and she thought, 'Mr. Uzumaki… what an interesting creature you are turning out to be.' Maybe it was time she started paying closer attention to a certain ex-classmate. She decided dinner would have to wait as she sped off after her teachers.

Its funny how, even when it doesn't rain for weeks, a forest will still smell and feel wet. How does that even happen? Is someone hired to go through the forest and throw water on everything? It wouldn't be so bad if the moisture didn't attract every bug within a ten mile radius, but it did.

Naruto swatted away another fly that tried to turn his eye into a landing pad. He looked down at the precious scroll that lay across his lap. He grinned. Everything was falling into place. Getting the scroll wasn't that difficult. The Hokage's mansion wasn't heavily guarded which made it easy to get in, and the old man didn't prove to be much of a problem either. Who would have thought that something as juvenile as Naruto's Sexy Jutsu could defeat the strongest ninja in the village?

He would show Iruka that he was tough enough to be a ninja. All he had to do was learn the jutsu on the scroll. After he did that nobody would have been able to doubt how strong he was. It was the perfect plan.

A purple flower was carried along by a chilling breeze and landed on the scroll. Naruto picked it up and stared at it for a second. It sure was pretty. The flower was bell-shaped and its petals had a small green tinge. As a breeze passed through the forest, he noted the flower also had a small, sweet scent.

He placed the flower beside him and lifted the scroll to eye level. Years of pulling pranks had taught him that he had to work fast or risk being caught. "Let's see," he said to himself, "The first one is 'The Multi-Shadow Clone Jutsu.'" Naruto pulled on his hair in distress, "Ah! Not this again. This is my worst jutsu!"

Just when he thought that everything was going so well. Why did everything have to do with clones? Iruka didn't think he was strong enough to pass because he couldn't create 3 illusion clones, and now to show Iruka that he was strong the scroll says that he has to make over 100 real clones? Where was the justice in that?

Akina didn't follow Iruka and Mizuki to the Hokage's mansion. She knew that if she did that, then she would have surely been sensed by at least one of her superiors. She opted to take another, slightly longer way around some of the houses. It was tiring and there was no guarantee that she wouldn't be found anyway, but it was worth a shot. She stayed in the shadows of buildings that lined the streets and breathed softly through her mouth. She took every measure possible to remain undetected as she neared the house of the Third Hokage. By the time she got there a group of Chunin had already gathered and were talking about the situation Naruto had put them all in. None of them seemed to be on Naruto's side.

"Lord Hokage, this is not just a prank. This is a serious crime."

"That scroll contains secrets that were sealed by the First Hokage; secrets known only to _our_ village."

"If it falls into the wrong hands, it could destroy our very way of life."

They all seemed to be trying to persuade the Third to allow them to go search for Naruto, but the elderly man didn't need persuading. Despite his feelings towards Naruto, his duty to the village came first. "Alright, bring Naruto here at once!"

"Yes, sir!" And with that, the group was off. The only thing left behind was a cloud of dirt from where they had kicked off the road.

It took Akina's mind a moment to process the fact that she and the Hokage were now the only people in the area. She had been relying on the fact that she wouldn't be sensed in such a large group of ninja, but now that they were gone, she was sure to be found out. "You can come out now."

She felt her body tense at the sound of the Hokage's raspy voice. Unlike most of the people in the village, she didn't share a buddy-buddy relationship with the Third. It wasn't that he had been mean to her or anything. It was the fact that Akina didn't have a buddy-buddy relationship with anyone. She was only interested in interesting things. The Hokage was the strongest man in the village, something that is pretty much impossible to top, so he couldn't do much that would surprise Akina in any way. And so, she never took the time to get well acquainted with him. Because she knew nothing about him, she had no idea what he would do when he found her eavesdropping on a secret conversation between him and his subordinates.

"It's okay Akina, you're not in trouble."

She closed her eyes to calm her nerves and stepped out, "You know who I am, Lord Hokage?"

His wrinkled lips were curled up in a warm smile. "Of course I do. What type of Hokage would I be if I didn't know the names of all the ninja in the village?"

"Oh."

There was a short pause before the Hokage started up again, "And of course I know about you and your family, Akina. Both your parents were very talented Jonin, and your sister was-"

"Forgive me, Lord Hokage, but I did not come here to discuss my family history," she stared directly into the Hokage's eyes, "Especially my sister."

"I'm sorry; I didn't mean to stir up any bad memories. Why _did_ you come here?"

Akina immediately bowed respectfully. She learned over the years that people were more willing to grant requests when shown reverence of some sort. "Lord Hokage," always state the person's name when asking them for something; it makes them feel important (use titles if they have one), "I humbly request your permission to assist in the search for Mr. Uzumaki. I feel that, because I am of the age group as the boy, he may be more willing to come when he is found." Always tell the person what it is that you can do for them and try to leave out anything that they don't need to know. Sure, Akina was Naruto's age group, but she had never actually talked to him before that day, so she was just as much a stranger as the Chunin already searching. Had she said that, it would have most likely taken away from her argument and cost her the chance to further examine her subject, so she didn't.

The Hokage stared at the young girl before him. She wasn't at all like her family, that much was certain. She was smart but very distant from the world. He had seen her in the streets a few times. She always looked straight ahead and never socialized with anyone else of her own accord. So why would she freely come to him and ask to involve herself in the retrieval of a boy that she barely knew. Yes, he knew that Akina and Naruto didn't know each other. The only time he had ever seen them together was at the tree earlier that day and even then they didn't acknowledge each other for more than a minute or two. What could she possibly be looking for? "Very well," he said, "Akina Yamoshi, I assign you the take of retrieving Naruto Uzumaki and the Scroll of Sealing and bringing them back to me. You may consider this your first unofficial mission as a Genin of the Hidden Leaf Village. You are dismissed."

"Understood, Lord Hokage." She straightened herself out and flashed her eyes to the elderly gentleman before she took off into the night.

In another part of the village, Iruka jumped soundlessly from roof to roof. Every moment brought more fear into his heart. He had to be the one to find Naruto. None of the other ninja had Naruto's safety in mind. They were only concerned about retrieving the scroll before anything happened to the village. If it was any other child, they might be a little more caring. However, there was no guarantee that the other men would show any sympathy for the blonde, because Naruto had the…

He shook his head to clear his mind. He couldn't waste time thinking bout those kinds of things. He had to focus on finding Naruto. 'Where would he go?' he thought desperately.

If Iruka had run no more than five minutes towards the west, he would have met up with Mizuki who's usually warm and charming smile had morphed into a smug smirk. He couldn't have asked for things to have worked out better. 'Now that I've told everyone what Naruto did, I can eliminate him. They'll be glad he's gone,' he thought. The maliciousness he hid so well from the public eye was now coursing through his veins.

Everything had gone according to plan. Naruto had stolen the scroll just like Mizuki had told him to. He couldn't believe that the foolish brat actually believed him when he said that to graduate all he had to do was learn a jutsu from the Scroll of Sealing and show it to Iruka. There was no way Naruto could possibly learn such advanced techniques but playing on the boy's gullibility proved to be the easiest part of his plan.

This final step had to be done quickly, but Mizuki wasn't nervous. Everyone was out looking for Naruto, but only he knew where the kid was actually hiding out. All he had to do was get rid of Naruto before anyone else found him. He would be doing the whole village a favor. That monstrosity should've never been allowed to live anyway. After the deed was done, he would make a quick escape and the other ninja would be none the wiser. 'And of course,' his lips curled upward into a fox-like grin, 'I keep the scroll for myself.'

Back in the forest, Naruto laid sprawled out on the grass. His breaths came out in rapid bursts of hot air that became visible in the cool night. His whole body was caked with dirt, leaves, twigs, and everything else that one could find in a forest setting. His arms and legs felt almost numb from fatigue, and he wondered how he was going to make it all the way back to his house. He was so wrapped up in his thoughts that he practically jumped out of his skin when a shadow fell over him.

"It's all over," Iruka was panting and placed both of his hands on his knees to support himself. Naruto wasn't the only one exhausted. However, Iruka couldn't help but feel a wave of relief wash over him at the sight of his student. He had been the first one to reach Naruto after all. Despite his relief, the brunette kept a stern look in his eye. Naruto was still in trouble and needed to be dealt with as if he was any other person that broke the rules.

Naruto let out a laugh to try and lighten the mood, but he couldn't hide his embarrassment from being discovered by his teacher, so it came out shakier than he had wanted. Iruka gave the child a confused look. Why was he laughing at a time like this? Didn't he know what a huge situation Naruto had put them all in? Apparently not based on the way he rubbed his head with a wide grin on his face. He was like a kid who got caught with his hand in the cookie jar, not like a person who had just committed a huge crime and put the whole village in danger. Obviously he realized that he was doing something wrong, but he didn't know the extent of the damage.

"Got me already," Naruto said, "That's not bad. You're quick, sensei. I only had time to learn one technique."

'He's been out here practicing,' Iruka thought, 'I can tell how hard he's been working.' There was no doubt that he was awed by the mere thought that Naruto would be putting in such an effort.

Before either of them could say anything else, there was a soft thud and they both listened to the sound of leaves rustling loudly. A voice void of all feeling followed, "Ah, that wasn't as quiet as I had hoped." Akina pulled her fingers through her short tresses to remove some branches that had become tangled in her hair on the way through the woods. She was even less happy than usual. After convincing herself that her hair was free of the tree spawn, she immediately focused her attention on her pants and shoes that had both acquired a layer of dirt. Was this really worth it? Of course it was. She was given a mission from the Lord Hokage himself and no matter how trivial it was, she would see it through 'til the end. If only there wasn't so much dirt involved.

Iruka and Naruto stared at the young brunette girl with equally shocked and baffled expressions. How long had she been watching them? What was she doing in the woods in the first place? And where _is_ Waldo? Okay, maybe I made the last one up.

After she had finished cleaning herself, Akina looked up and gave an acknowledging nod, "Hello."

"What the heck? Don't give such a relaxed greeting after coming out of nowhere!" Naruto's arms flailed up and down wildly. Apparently he felt his vocal emotions weren't enough and he compensated with physical movements. Akina followed the action with her eyes. Up and down. Up and down.

"Should I not? Personally, it was my belief that 'hello' was a universally accepted phrase for greeting people."

"Well you shouldn't use it so casually when you jump out of a tree!"

"I see," her eyes flickered from one male to the other, "In that case I apologize for intruding on your private conversation." She did not sound the least bit apologetic. "I hope you do not mind that I was listening in."

"Of course we mi-"

"No, it's fine," Iruka cut in. They had no time to waste getting the scroll back to the Hokage's mansion. It was his hope that the quicker it was returned, the more lenient the punishment would be, and the quicker he could get away from those eyes that seemed to be looking for a way devour his soul with a single glance. She stared at him in silence, and the world around him started to slowly disappear. All he could see were those eyes.

He could feel himself being sucked in, little by little.

**"Mr. Umino, is something wrong?"**

Why was he so scared?

**That was Akina's voice…so soft...**

There was nothing to be afraid of.

**He could faintly hear Naruto's voice too…louder, harsher…**

It was easy.

**"Ir…a…sen…ei"**

Just give in to those eyes-

**Wait, what was he saying?**

"Iruka-sensei!" The brunette male shook his head wildly and blinked as the woods slowly came back into focus. What had just happened? The blonde's hand was waving wildly in front of his face, but Naruto pulled back when he saw his teacher was out of the daze.

Akina's head tilted to the side, her uneven bangs sliding across her forehead, "Mr. Umino?"

"S-Sorry," Iruka didn't dare look at his female student. He suddenly found the ground to be incredibly fascinating, "I'm fine, just a little tired I guess."

"Is that so?" Without waiting for any response, Akina flipped open her book and once again began reading. Surely now that Naruto was found by Iruka and her, Iruka would take him back safe and sound to the Hokage's mansion, so there was no need for further cooperation on her part.

Naruto, no longer paying attention to the potentially crazy girl only a few meters away, jumped up and down, "Listen, Iruka-sensei! I'm going to show you this amazing jutsu and you're gonna let me graduate, then everything will be okay. That's how it works, right? Anyone who learns a jutsu from this scroll passes."

'Are you always this dense?' Thought Akina, her eyes flashing up and narrowing the slightest bit, 'Perhaps you are not as interesting as I had originally believed, Mr. Uzumaki. The revised chance of consensual verbal interaction…not good.'

"H-Huh? Where'd you get that idea?" Iruka stammered. Was that why Naruto had taken it? He couldn't help but feel slightly relieved that Naruto wasn't just pulling another one of his pranks. It was all a misunderstanding, and hopefully the other ninja in the search party would understand as well. His relief was mixed with a feeling of respect for his student. He was so set on his dream that he would come out and train all night just to pass the graduation exam.

"Mizuki-sensei told me about it. Believe it!" Naruto exclaimed, "He told me where to find the scroll…and this…place…" His voice drifted off as comprehension finally started to dawn on him.

'Huh? Mizuki?' An image of the light-haired Chunin appeared in Iruka's mind. Was it even possible? Why would Mizuki do such an awful thing?

A chilling wind cut through the woods and picked up the purple flower next to Naruto. It floated through the air and drifted down onto Akina's book. She stared at it for a while, before picking it up by one of the petals in between her thumb and pointer finger. 'A nightshade, how ironic,' she thought dryly. She tucked the omen into her book and pressed it shut tightly.

The leaves from a tree behind Iruka rustled too wildly to be from the wind. The Chunin whipped himself around just in time to see the sharp kunai knives flying through the air.

His scream seemed to echo throughout the whole forest, "Look out!"

* * *

**Oooohh, so much suspense! Haha well obviously not for the people who have watched the show :DD However I did allude to a bit of Akina's past which I will make more clear as the story progresses so at least you all have something to look forward to, right? You know the drill by now; feedback=love (SPREAD THE LOVE EVERYONE~!)**


	5. Authors Note 1

Hello my fellow Fanficsonians, 'tis I the elusive Ms. Plush! For those of you who actually read this fanfic or any of my other fanfics I want to let you all know that no, I am not dead. For a while I had to study for midterms, the ACT, and the SAT so I couldn't find a lot of time to sit down and write. However, that is not the sole cause of my lack of updates. As some of you already know, a fire broke out on March 5 and burned my entire house to the ground. You can probably guess that this has been a very hard time for me and my family. As for my writing, my computer and all my notebooks with ideas for chapters were lost in the fire and I no longer have my things that usually help me when I have writers' block such as the view of the mountains from my porch, stupid things my cats do (we did find one of them although we don't know if the other two survived), etc. Obviously I will be working very hard to get the next chapter of _Vanilla_ out to you guys, but I need you all to be patient and not message me demanding updates. I appreciate the love, but I need some time to pull my life back together. Thanks so much for your time and sorry if this whole thing sounded really awkward because I did rush to get it out. Love you guys~!

PS. if any of you guys have suggestions for the series please let me know because I have a horrible memory and so I do not remember most of my ideas that were in my notebooks. Often a good idea for the series will respark my writing mode.


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